Tuesday, July 20, 2010

My family dinner for two is usually simple, not sacrificing nutrition. Dinner is usually a one-dish, plus a "bonus" soup if possible; or congee with side-dishes and a no-fail appearance of blanched vegetables. Does it sound weird? But the other side-dish(es) usually has gravy (sometimes curry), so it is not at all bland.

These days, my stir-fry noodle dish is a marriage of different vegetables. Can be Cabbage with Mushrooms, or Bok-Choy, Bell Peppers with Mushrooms.Noodles with Bell Peppers, Bok Choy and Shitake MushroomsIngredients: 2 servings of cooked noodles; 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced; 1/2 tsp minced ginger; 1 yellow bell pepper, rinsed, seeded and cubed; some Bok Choy, rinsed, separate stems and leaves; 5-6 fresh shitake mushrooms caps, thinly sliced; 2-3 tbsp water; salt and white pepper to taste. (Tip: When it is noodles, slice the vegetables like "strips" or "strands"; for short pasta such as fusili, cube the vegetables. This will ensure a consistent texture in the final dish)

Directions: Heat some oil in a pan, fry the garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add the Bok Choy stems and fry for 1 minute, add in bell pepper and mushrooms and fry for another 1 minute. Add in Bok Choy leaves, then add water, cover the pan and allow to simmer till vegetables are almost tender and cooked. Add in fusili, mix well and allow the fusili to absorb any remaining gravy. Salt and white pepper to taste